Folding top operating mechanism



May 29, 1945. F. J. WESTROPE FOLDING TOP OPERATING MECHANISM Filed April 9, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l (Ittornegs y 1945. F. J. WESTROPE 2,376,949-

FOLDING TOP OPERATING MECHANISM 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 9 Inventor re m w. m M s elm. w t K /.I 9 e 3 a 6 m o a 3 h 2 a e .c n 3 e M S. I N A P E P m O mu 8 1 wwm mm m l F 1 .GF N I D L 0 F May 29, 1945.

Patented May 29, 1%45 v UNITED STATES PATENT QOFFI-CE g 2,316,949 r v FOLDING Ton-OPERATING MECHANI M I Frederick JL'Westrope, Pleasant Ridge, Mich., as-, I

signor, by mesne assignments, to FL-L. Jacobs Co., a corporation of Michigan I Application April 9, 1940, SerialNo; 32 8.720 Y J 3Claims. (c1. 296-117)] This invention relates generally to vehicles and more particularly to foldable tops therefor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved folding top and improved operating mechanism therefor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle top having a new and improved arrangement of the movable parts thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a foldable vehicle top which is raised and lowered by an electric motor which may be readily dis-' connected from the topso that the top may in raised and lowered manually, if desired.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying three sheets of drawings in which Fig. 1 is a sectional vertical view taken longitudinally of a motor vehicle body to show part of the foldable top structure and operating mechanism therefor;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the body, taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of Fig. 1; 1

Fig. 3 is a sectionalview showing certain details of construction of the operating mecha nism;

Fig. 4 is a detail view partly broken away and in section of the structure of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the top structure; a

Fig. 7 is a view'shown partly in elevation and partly in section, taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary enlarged view shown partly in elevation and partly in section of a connecting member of the top operating mechataken along the line and in the direction of the.

arrows ll-ll of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the numeral l designates generally a motor vehicle body having a frame structure ineluding a floor H, intermediate and rear upright pillars vl2, I3 respectively and outer panels l4. 'Rigidly mounted on each of the upright pillarg lZ there is a bracket l to which a' pair of bow links l6 are respectively pivoted, as at Mia, and rigidly secured to the links [6 is a rear cross bow ll of a foldable top. Pivoted adjacentv its lower ends tothe links Hi there is a second or intermediate cross bow 18 which aids to support the top covering l9'which may be leakproof fabric or other foldable material, the fabric top. covering being attached to the cross bows l1 and The intermediate and rear pillars l2 and I3,respectively of opposite sides of the body are rigidly secured together by longitudinal body frame members 20 and to each of th members 20, an operating member or lever 2| is pivoted intermediate its ends, as at 22, for raising and lowering the topframe structure. Also pivoted to each of the brackets l5, there is a lever 23 to each of which is rigidly secured an upright member 24,

these upright members constituting continuations of the intennediatepillarslZ when the top links 21 and rigidly secured to the front ends of the members '30 there is a cross member or wind shield header 3!. When thetop is in its raisedposition, as shown in Fig. 1, the header 3| rests upon and may be suitably releasably secured to I one or more brackets 32 which are rigidly secured to the. windshield frame, designated by the numeral 33.

As shown more clearly in Figs. 6 and 7, the dengitudinal frame members 30 are each provided at their' rear ends with a reduced, extended portion. 34 adapted to engage and seat respectively in forwardly directed sockets 35, respectively provided in socket members 36 which are rigidly secured, one to each of, the upright members 24, adjacentthe upper ends thereof. The upper ends of the links 21 may be connected respectively to,

the rear ends of the longitudinal frame members 30.by bolts 3'! or by any other'suitable means. Preferably, the extension pillar members 24 are channel-shape-members as shown in Fig. 7 and 7 3 directedlugs '40, see Fig. ,1, to which are respec 'ered manually, if desired.

tively and pivotally connected, forwardly disposed ends of links 4|, the rear ends of'the links 4| being pivotally connected, as at 42 to and adjacent the upper ends of the members 24. Each of the levers 23 is provided with an arm 43' which, when- I the top is in raised position, extends rearwardly and upwardly and toeach of the leverarms 43.is

; connected helical coil springs. 45 which are an-; chored respectively to the rear body posts or pil-j lars I3. When the top is lowered, the springs 45 yieldingly oppose lowering of the top and are tensioned tobalance orsteady the top movement.

" The operating levers 2| are each provided with a lower arm 46 and the ends of'tl ese arms46' are each provided with an extension comprising a pair of tensioned plate members 41 which may be rigidly secured to the arms byrivets 48, or by other suitable means. Below the ends of-the lower onto rotatable shafts '4, driven by an electric motor 10. The end portions 50are made ofresilient or spring metal and are pre-formed inwardly to;

ward each other such that they must be forced apart in order that the'extensions 52 may be positioned-in the sockets 5| with the result that the'extensions 52 are held in their sockets'5l by the tension under which the spring portions 58" areplaced. Between the rivets 48 and the sockets 5| the'lever arm 46 and the extension member 41 are provided .with aligningapertures to receive a rivet 55, and held under tension under the heads of the rivet 55'are springplate members 56' hav ping radially spaced spring fingers51 engaging'the opposite sides'of the extension members 41- toaid the'te nsioned-end portions 50 in holding the ex tensions 52 in their sockets 5|. It will be seen,

' that the above 'describedball and soc s jints permit relative swinging movement between the,

drive screws'54 and the operating levers re-" spectively' connected thereto and that 'by forcing" the extension portions 50 apart the operating; levers Z-I and'screws 54' may be easily and quickly disconnected. By disconnecting the levers 2'! and thescrews 54, the top may then be raised or low-f The lower ends of the drive respectively into gearhousings 58 wherein they are preferably journaled in roller-bearings 59%, separated by tubular spacer members 60 which sur;

round the lower shaft portion 6| of each of the drive screws. At their lower ends, the gear nous-1 m'gs' 58 are individually pivoted, as at '62, to

brackets 63 which are rigidly securedto the body structure floor ll by bolts 64. By pi-votallyi mounting the gear casings 58, it will be seen that screws 54 pivot as they rotate to pivot the top operating lever 46 in raising and; lowering thei top. 1 f Secured onto each of the screw shaft portions 61 1 1. there is a worm wheel or gear '65 in mesh respectl tively with-worm gears 66. fIhe worm', gears 66 are securedon separate shafts 61 and 68 which; extend transversely of the body and are driven. by a'comrnon; reversible type electric motor 18', see i-F'ig. 2. As shown in Fig. 4;- the w'orm'gears 66 are each'providedwith a hollow end portion H which projects externally of their gear casings: 56- and receive outer end portions I2 respectively; of the motor driven shafts 61 and 68. The end:

portions 12 of the shafts 61, as are made multisided internally to provide driveconnections between the. shafts 61, 68 and their respective worm gears 66. Similarly, inner end portions of the shafts 61, 68 are made multi-sided to engage in complementary or multi-sided sockets in mem-;

here 15 which are secured to opposite ends of the drive shaft of the electric motor 16. The multisided opposite end portions of 'each-"of'the shafts are rounded or convex, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 to permit canting of the shafts relative tothe motor 10 and to the gear casings 58 during raising or lowering of the top. The motor 10 is rigidly mounted on a cross member 10a which is rigid 15 Fig, 4, are provided one in each of the hollow ends with the body structure. Helical coil springs 11,

H of the worm gears 66 and act to retain the inner ends of the shafts 61, 68 in the socket members vl5 of the motor 10. Any suitable control system or circuit, preferably controllable by a" switch by the vehicle operator may beprovided for starting and stopping the motor 10 to raise or lower the top, a l 2 l Operation 7, a In lowering theyehi'c le foldabletop, the motor 10 is started and through the shafts 61, 68 and the gears 65, 66 rotates the angularly disposed screws 54. As thesjcrews 54 rotate, the follower I of. the canting drive shafts 61,168.

foperating levers 2| are pivoted clockwise, links 21 are moved rearwardly, carrying the upper pi1:-,

members or nuts53 are caused to move down wardly on the screws which movement pivots the operating levers 2| clockwise, as seen facing Fig. l, causing. the screws 54 to swing counterclockwise which movement is permitted by reason When the lar extension 24 therewith which breaks. the

screws 54 extend;

' members 30 to move rearwardly while at the same,

time swinging clockwise about the pivots '40.. 'I'he levers, links and other parts continue .m-oving rearwardly and simultaneously swinging about their pivots as above described until finally they assume the folded top lowered positions shown in Fig; 10. To raise thetop',-the motor 78 operates in the opposite direction and through rotating screws 54 pivots the operating levers. 2 l1 coun; terclockwise, the movements or the" various top,

frame parts being reversed in direction from they movements they make inlowering the top. Whenthe top-is lowered, the springs are'tensioned which aids in steadying the movement of thetop.

and the force stored in the springs aids the motor; 10, when the top is again raised. In the event 'it is desired to raise br lower the top manuallyithe power means: may be quickly and easily disconnected from the top by spreading apart the so lo} etex-tension member 56 and. separating theextensions from the screw .travelersor nuts.

It will now be appreciatedfthat I. have pro-:.

vided new and improved. individual mechanisms operated by a common or single motor for rais ing and for lowering a foldable vehicle top.

ture whereby they may be quickly and ieasil-yi disengaged to permit mamial. raising and 'lciwetf-iv and of a character which permits the motor to.

be quickly and easily disconnected from said mechanism.

While I have shown and described my invention in detail it is to be understood that the same is to be limited only by the appended claims for many changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a motor vehicle having a body, a foldable top for the body, a pair of pivoted operating levers operatively connected to said top and 0perable to raise and lower said top, a pair of rotatable threaded shafts, power operated means to rotate said shafts, internally threaded nuts respectively screwthreaded onto said shafts and movable longitudinally thereof by rotation of said shafts, said nuts having oppositely directed extended portions, and spaced tensioned members carried by said operating levers and having opposed sockets respectively receiving the extended portions of saidnuts, whereby to provide a quickly releasable connectionfor facilitating manual raising and lowering of said top independently of said power-operated means.

2. In a motor vehicle having a body, a foldable top for the body, a pair of pivoted operating levers operatively connected to said foldable top and operable to raise and lower said top, a pair of rotatable threaded shafts, power operated means to rotate said shafts, internallythreaded nuts respectively screwthreaded onto said shafts and movable therealong by rotation of said shafts, and a pair of spaced extension members secured to each of said operating levers, said extension members being tensioned and having inwardly facing sockets, said nuts having oppositely disposed extended portions held in the sockets of the respective extension members by the inherent tension thereof, whereby to provide a quickly releasable connection for facilitating manual raising and lowering of said top independently of said power-operated means. i

3. In a motor vehicle having a body, a foldable top for the body, a pair of pivoted operating levers operatively connected to said foldable top and operable to raise and lower said top, a pair of rotatable threaded shafts, power operated means to rotate said shafts, internally threaded nuts respectively screwthreaded onto said shafts and movable therealong by rotation of said shafts, a pair of spaced extension members secured to each of said operating levers, said extension members being tensioned and having in wardly facing sockets, said nutshaving oppositely disposed extended portions held in the 

